Essential Strategies for Voice Search In 2017

SEO is always changing in response to how search engines are trying to understand and interpret web content and add value to web searchers.

Among the various search technologies that are on the ascendant, voice search is one of the most significant.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, it was somewhat of a novelty, however, it has steadily risen in popularity and today it is pretty much commonplace, especially with users on the go on their portable devices like smartphones and tablets.

In this changed scenario, it is vital for local businesses to gear up to take advantage of this type of search. Here’s what they should take note of:

Increasing Use of Voice Search

According to a Google study currently, 20% of the searches conducted on Android devices and on its mobile app comprise voice searches. When you take into account other personal assistants like Google Home.

Amazon’s Alexa, Cortana, Siri, all exclusively voice recognition tools, the number of searches will be far higher. The reason for the surge in voice search is mainly because the search technology is getting more accurate and the ease of use has improved dramatically.

As per the 2016 report of KPCB Internet Trends, voice search accuracy has jumped to achieve 92%, which is a really mammoth improvement. It is anticipated voice search capabilities will increase and be of greater utility to consumers with its growing popularity.

According to the head of a reputed social media agency in Mumbai, another reason why voice search is becoming more popular is because the devices that are voice search enabled have already made a large infiltration inside homes.

Thus, if you are really interested in staying on top of local search, you need to plan out your voice search strategy right now.

Voice Search Optimization for Local Business

Most people tend to use voice search to obtain information about their immediate requirements that may be fulfilled by local businesses.

It is quite likely that the query will be addressed in natural language so it is also essential for you to optimize page content in a similar way.

Another very effective way of ensuring natural language capability in your site is to have a Q&A page that has the content laid out in a conversational style and includes keyword phrases that are more likely to be used during voice searches.

It is also essential to make it easy for the search engine bots to scan your website and understand what your contents are all about to increase the chances of your contents to be ranked in response to a voice query. Also, make sure that the sitemap is submitted to all the leading search engines.

It is also very useful to incorporate schema, microdata, rich snippets, etc. to provide search engines additional information about your business.

Do note that your site organization may not be of any use if the searcher employs local search phrases.The search results will depend on the smartphone figuring out where the searcher is located at that time and then tailoring the results according to proximity, pulling up the information from Google’s or Bing’s Business directories and other online sources.

For your business to be featured in these lists, you need to ensure that your business is claimed and the information regarding the business name, address, and phone number (NAP) is accurate.

Being specific regarding the category when configuring Google My Business can increase the chances of your business featuring on the results page of voice searches.

Conclusion
While voice search may be a revolutionary technology, it does not mean that you have got to completely revamp your SEO strategy or even the site content.

What it does mean, however, that you have to start making small changes that can lead to success in voice searches. It is usually helpful to focus on identifying phrases that are akin to queries naturally spoken.

Also, because all voice searches are conducted using mobile devices, it is imperative that your site is optimized for portable devices, else no one will bother visiting your site.

*** Author bio: Walter Moore is a senior online strategy officer working in GingerDomain.com, a prominent social media agency. He writes regularly on small business SEO concerns and trends.